Microsoft BASIC PDS 7.1 - import.obj

[DrGray]

I am trying to modify some old source code, circa 1995, using Microsoft BASIC PDS 7.1, a product I have not used in many, many years (and of course the manuals are long gone). I am starting by just trying to compile and link, but am having a problem in the linking process. A batch file included with the source code links in a file named import.obj, but I can not find a file of that name in either the application or the development tools. Is anyone familiar with this? Was import.obj part of the development tools and I am just missing it, or maybe it was extracted from one of the PDS libraries and possibly modified? There is a module in the libraries called Link_With_IMPORT that is a possibility. I extracted it from the library, named it import.obj, and linked it but received "symbol defined more than once" messages since additional modules, such as b$RTMCommonSize and b$RTMTimeStamp1 were also extracted into import.obj. I would appreciate any insights into this.

[karlgg]

In my PDS 7.1 install, there's no IMPORT.OBJ. If there's an IMPORT.BAS, compiling it will create the .OBJ for you. Alternatively, if the program is meant to use a specific library/addon to BASIC, you'll need to find/install that to get the code to work.

Without anything else to go on, Googling "IMPORT.OBJ" is of no help.

..KARL...

[DrGray]

Thank you for your response.

Part of my problem is I am trying to deduce what should be in Import.Obj (since I have not been able to locate an Import.Bas). I made an assumption that Import.Obj should contain an object called Link_With_Import, because when I attempt to compile and link, even a stubbed test program, I get the following linker error:

C:\Source\Bas71\Lib\brun71.lib(.\b4.) : error L2029: Link_With_IMPORT' : unresolved external

Here are the batch files included with the souce code that apparently were used for compiling and linking:

bc %1, , nul.lst /e/s/fpi/fs

link c:\subsourc\RTM71\import.obj %1, %1, NUL, c:subsourc\RTM71\BRUN71 + l:lib\applib /ex/nod/noe/st:8192;

Note: Applib is the application specific library.

Many of the PDS libraries contain a Link_With_Import module, but BRUN71 does not. When I attempt to link in Link_With_Import from one of the other libraries (e.g. Brt71Afr), I get "symbol defined more than once" messages since some modules, such as b$RTMCommonSize and b$RTMTimeStamp1, are in BRUN71 as well as Brt71Afr.

What parameters do you use for compiling and linking? Have you ever encountered the apparently missing Link_With_Import when using the BRUN71 library?

[karlgg]

I haven't found out any more about your missing Link_With_Import, but the switches your linker is getting tells it not to search for other libraries. Sounds like that IMPORT.OBJ is important enough they don't want the linker using one of the standard libraries in its place.

Looking up the BRT71xxx file showed it to be one of the libraries specifically for certain compiler switches (/FPi/Fs/LR = floating point emulator, far strings, real mode), so just for giggles I'd try the BRT71EFR.LIB.

If it's conflicting, I suspect it is meant to replace the unspecific BRUN71.LIB, which might simply be meant for building new libraries (or not including "stuff you don't want").

Is this progam supposed to work with some sort of proprietary hardware? Do you know if it might use any 3rd Party libraries? (database, COM port access) That .obj quite possibly came from something of that nature, if there's no source. There were countless options back in the day. Alternately, look for some .ASM or .C files, in case it's actually a mixed language thing.